100925 Meadows in the Sky

Meadows in the Sky Parkway – I drove through two more (small) national parks today: Glacier [photo left] - the Canadian one - and Mount Revelstoke [below]. I took a couple hikes and enjoyed views of more snow-topped mountains, but the drive up Mount Revelstoke on the Meadows in the Sky Parkway was the high point for sure. It helped that the sun came out and it turned into a gorgeous afternoon. I stopped and had lunch in my RV, at a "scenic turnout" part-way up the mountain, with a view of the town of Revelstoke and the Columbia River valley below. Once I got to the top, the best view was from the fire tower, for sure: incredible views of snow-topped mountains to the north, with beautiful Lake Eva in the valley below. Then I walked part of the way on the Meadows in the Sky loop that takes you to the east side of the summit, where I looked out on more snow-topped mountains, as far as the eye could see. I had the trail to myself, one of the advantages of coming so late in the season. A statue of an Indian lifting his pipe and singing in homage to the Great Spirit had been placed there, and it evoked the sense of wonder and awe appropriate for this powerful place.

Ferry – About 25 minutes from Revelstoke, there is a free ferry across Arrow Lake, which seems to have been created by damming the Columbia. This ferry is just part of the highway system, as it is the only way to get from one side of this large lake to the other, and this is the only road. I waited about 30 minutes, but the ferry itself only took about 15 minutes. This part of BC seems very remote. Wilderness, even, except for the logging they’re doing here. I saw a few men putting their canoes into the water at the ferry landing. This is wilderness, with civilization just around the corner.